General information

Students from the EU, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do not need a visa or a residence permit.

Students from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States of America or from Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino do not need a visa to enter Germany, but must apply for a student residence permit on their arrival. The local immigration office where the student is to take up residence is responsible.

Students of all other nationalities need a student visa before arriving in Germany. The student visa is absolutely necessary for applying for a residence permit and can only be issued by a German embassy in your respective home country. Students without a valid visa will be required to return to their home country.


Process

With the exception of the countries listed above, foreign students require a student visa to enroll at CIT.

It normally takes six to eight weeks to process a student visa application, but it can take considerably longer. The visa is usually valid for approximately three months. It is often the case that the visa is valid from the day of collection, which can mean that the visa has expired before arrival in Germany (e.g. if it is collected in May). This must be clarified with the relevant embassy.

A student visa can be applied for at any Germany embassy in the home country.

The following documents are usually required for an application, although embassies reserve the right to request additional documents:

• Visa application form (supplied by the embassy)
• A valid passport
• Notification of admission and CIT notification (supplied on admission by CIT)
• Health insurance certificate valid in Germany
• Two passport photos (please note the specifications)
• Proof of sufficient funding (this also applies to the residence permit):

International students at CIT must provide proof of funding to receive a visa and/or residence permit CIT tuition fees amount to €18,000 p.a. Living costs are usually calculated at approximately €8,000 p.a. Proof of funding for at least approximately €26,000 to cover tuition fees and living costs is therefore required. Proof of funding usually constitutes a German bank account or foreign blocked account containing the corresponding sum. Alternatively a letter of commitment provided by the student’s parents is also acceptable.

For further information, please refer to the German representative authorities in your home country or the Auswärtige Amt